The human body includes several areas of mucous membranes, including, without limitation, the oral cavity, the nasal cavities, the vaginal cavity and the anal cavity. Each of these areas is generally considered sensitive to pain. Therefore human beings tend to resist any procedures that interact with the mucous membranes. For example, it is estimated that as many as 75% of US adults experience some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe. It is further estimated that some 5 to 10 percent of U.S. adult dental patients are considered to experience dental phobia wherein they become so fearful of receiving dental treatment that they avoid dental procedures until they have a dental emergency, such as a toothache or dental abscess. Similarly, women tend to report apprehension about procedures that involve the vaginal area. In addition, people tend to report being more fearful of more invasive procedures which require anesthesia in order to manage pain, than they are of less painful treatments. The sensitive nature of most mucous membrane tissue promotes such fear.
What is needed therefore is a way to easily administer active agents, such as a medicament to a mucous membrane in a manner that causes little or no pain. Decreasing pain associated with mucous membranes will in turn lessen the apprehension associated with procedures involving the membranes.